Field of Invention
The present invention is related to a cooling module for a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cooling module for a vehicle having a water cooled condenser that is disposed in a header tank of a radiator cooling coolant by exchanging heat with outside air, and an air cooled condenser that is disposed at a front side of the radiator.
Description of Related Art
Generally, an air conditioning unit for a vehicle maintains suitable cabin temperature regardless of ambient temperature and realizes a comfortable indoor environment.
Such an air conditioning unit includes a compressor compressing a refrigerant, a condenser condensing and liquefying the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, an expansion valve quickly expanding the refrigerant condensed and liquefied by the condenser, and an evaporator evaporating the refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve such that cooling air is supplied to the cabin in which the air conditioning unit is installed by using evaporation latent heat.
However, when a coolant condenser is applied to condense the refrigerant in a conventional air conditioning system as described above, the coolant is cooled by the condenser and the refrigerant temperature of the outlet of the condenser is increased, and therefore there is a problem that the power consumption is increased.
Also, because heat capacity of the coolant condenser is larger than that of an air cooled condenser, the condensing pressure is reduced, and because a temperature difference between the coolant and the refrigerant is small and the coolant temperature is higher compared with ambient air, it is hard to realize subcooling and therefore there is a drawback that overall cooling performance is deteriorated.
A large capacity cooling fan and radiator are necessary so as to prevent this, so the layout becomes disadvantageous in a narrow engine compartment and there is a drawback that overall weight and cost are increased.
Also, a coolant condenser that is disposed in a narrow engine compartment is to be disposed at a rear side of a fender or an engine compartment and it is hard to secure a space, and therefore the layout and the piping thereof are complicated, the assembly and mounting characteristics are deteriorated, the performance is deteriorated by the heat of the engine compartment, and the flow resistance of the coolant is increased to increase the power consumption of the compressor.
Further, in an environmentally friendly vehicle having a motor, an electric power component, and a stack, the coolant cools the constituent elements and then is supplied to the condenser and the temperature thereof is increased, and therefore there is a problem that the condensing capacity of the coolant is deteriorated.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.